Lewis Hamilton expects to sign new Mercedes contract by Monaco

World champion's current deal expires at the end of the season

Lewis Hamilton expects to sign his long-awaited new Mercedes contract when the teams arrive for the Monaco Grand Prix next week.

The reigning world champion has been locked in negotiations with the team since the turn of the year, with suggestions he could instead move to Ferrari now looking wide of the mark.

Hamilton, 30, has played a major role in the talks himself and said ahead of Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix that he was now well versed in legal terms having taken a fine-tooth comb to the offer on the table.

He may have had to settle for second place in Barcelona as team-mate Nico Rosberg picked up his first win of the 2015 season but, when asked if the deal was any closer, Hamilton said: "You'll see it in Monaco - I will have some news for you in Monaco."

One report from Barcelona suggested Hamilton and Mercedes had reached a deadlock in their negotiations but the Stevenage-born racer added: "That is not the case. It is utter bulls***, basically. All stories that have come out about money are generally bulls***."

Hamilton heads to Monaco looking to win in the principality for the first time since his title-winning season of 2008 but he is confident of breaking the six-year losing run in Monte Carlo.

"I don't look at it as unfinished business - the last two years I have had the car to win there," Hamilton said. "The first year I struggled with it, last year I had the pace but other things were up against me and this year hopefully will be different - third time lucky.

"This year I will have the choice to go ahead of him so I will make sure I do that. For me I'm not worried about last year, I'm just going there to win. I haven't won there in a long time so I'm going to work hard to get the balance right."

Just 24 hours after the Spanish GP, reigning Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton took part in a special five-a-side game against some of his Arsenal he

Just 24 hours after the Spanish GP, reigning Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton took part in a special five-a-side game against some of his Arsenal he